The Final Goodbye
by aghamora
Summary: Jack's soul returns to give Rose one final goodbye. - - Oneshot.


**A/n- Just a little random oneshot! Enjoy it! I know it might not be the best, but give it a try. No flames please. **

"Rose…"

I have been sleeping in my hotel room, which the manager has given me for a night without charge (he had done so for all the _Titanic_ survivors), when a soft tap on my shoulder awakes me and brings me out of my fitful dreams. For a moment, I'm grateful to have an escape. I open my eyes and inspect my room. No one was there, so I figure I have been dreaming yet again. I try to fall back into sleep, praying that the terrible dreams would subside long enough for me to get an hour of peaceful rest, but something keeps me up.

I've dreamt of Jack all night. I wake up crying or sweating or calling out his name without knowing it. He's gone, and I have to remember that. No matter how painful it is. But it feels like he's still here. I guess my mind hasn't completely registered that he's gone. I don't know if it ever will.

"Rose," the unseen voice says again. I sit up in my bed and look around the room, frightened. I brush my tangled red hair away from my face. No one is there, but I heard a voice say my name as plain as day. That voice…whoever had called me…it only reminds me of how Jack would call my name. That only saddens me more. I lie back down in bed and shut my eyes tightly, trying to block out the world.

'_You're imagining things again Rose,'_ I remind myself,_' He's gone,'_

I haven't left my room ever since I arrived. Maybe I'm too scared to face life without my beloved Jack beside me, guiding me through every day. Maybe I am afraid that as soon as I leave, I will be plagued by memories yet again, or maybe I'm afraid that Cal will find me and trap me back in my old life; this time without Jack to be my escape. Whatever the reason, I'm not considering leaving soon. By now I am so deeply lost in my thoughts that I almost miss my name being called a third time. There's definitely someone, or some_thing_ there.

"Rose."

"W-who's there?" I respond almost immediately. My heart quickens as I let out a shuddered breath. The last thing I need is for someone to break in here and rob me. Not that I have anything to rob, anyway, but who knows. The Heart of the Ocean would be the only worthwhile thing to take, and no one knows I have it under my possession. I pull the covers over me as I noticed a chill pass through the room.

"Go over to the mirror…" the voice tells me. Its voice isn't commanding; it sounds friendly. I'm too scared to disobey anyway. I reluctantly pull the knit covers off of me and get onto my feet. My legs felt like jelly, as I have been lying in bed all day. My teeth are chattering. The temperature in my room has to be near freezing, though it's April. How odd. The cold hits me like a thousand knives, reminding me of that night of the sinking. I cringe. I've hated the cold since that night. The wooden floor creaks as I step on it. Somehow, I manage to make my way over to the mirror that hangs on the south wall of the room. I stare at my ghastly reflection for a few moments. I'm deathly pale and need a bath. I look like a ghost. In some way I am; I'm a ghost of my former vivacious self. I run my hand along my thin cheeks. I've forgotten to eat too. The trauma from the sinking hasn't let me go yet.

As far as I'm concerned, my fire is almost gone. That fire that Jack had loved about me is almost gone. Maybe not completely put out, but almost. Only an ember remains. I can't let that die, for Jack's sake. My red curls no longer give off any fire. My eyes have no excitement in them; they are simply two portals forcing me to take in the sights of a world without Jack. I don't think I'll ever have any emotion again. I can't even imagine being happy, or even being content for that matter. All that sank with _Titanic_, with Jack. It pains me to look at myself, knowing that maybe, just maybe…if I hadn't let Jack go into the ocean, I could've saved him. Maybe he wasn't dead…

I'm lost in thought again until I noticed someone standing next to me. The figure looks frozen, but partly transparent. This was surely no human. I am scared to death for a moment before I begin to make out its features. That build…that hair…those eyes…everything comes rushing back to me.

"Jack!" I cry, overjoyed, "Jack you're alive!" He had survived after all! My heart leaps, but only to fall flat on its face when I spin around and look behind me. No one was there, and I am met with air. I turn again to the mirror and stare at Jack in disbelief. My mouth moves wordlessly. I can't seem to find words to match my feelings. He only appears in the mirror! My smile fades as I blink to make sure that I'm not dreaming.

"Jack…you're…" I begin. His face was so pale, and his hair still had ice in it. Just like he looked when he had died. My heart sinks. I want to cry.

"Dead," he says gravely. I can't feel anything in this voice. He sounds hopeless.

"Y-y-you can't be here. You're…dead," I repeat incredulously. He doesn't reply. There's only one thing I could feel again to prove that he really is here.

"Put your hands on me Jack," I say quietly, almost smiling when I remember that time in the Renault. I feel a pair of icy hands slip onto my shoulders, giving me a sensation like no other. These are his hands. This is him. I nearly gasp, but I remind myself that this is only his ghost. Even so, he is still just as handsome as I had known. I smile to myself. After that, we are silent for a few moments, just gazing into the other's eyes. His are frozen; yet still show love, a yearning to be alive. Mine are frightened and disappointed, knowing that this wasn't my Jack. Nevertheless, I can't bear to look away; for fear that the apparition would be gone when I turn back.

"How did you find me?" I swallow and ask him. My voice is hoarse; I haven't used it for days.

"We're soul mates Rose, we'll always be able to find each other," he answers, grinning a bit. I feel relieved for a moment.

"So you'll be back to visit me often, right?" I ask hopefully. I foolishly let hope find it's way into my heart again. I'm crushed at his answer.

"No…probably not Rose. I only came to say something that I never got to say to you..." He moves his invisible hands down to my middle, sighing. I am painfully reminded of our first kiss, making me want to cry again. I feel like someone was tearing my heart out of my chest. I bite my lip to keep from crying, though I know I will soon.

"I love you," he whispers into my ear gently. I let a silent tear fall down my cheek. At those words, my heart melts. This amazing man, whom I probably don't even deserve, loves me. I have never felt a feeling like this before. Not even for my own family. Even if I have only known him for three days, I love him with all my heart. He has shown me what a real life was like; one filled with adventure and passion, not parties and gossip. He is my hero, and now I didn't know how I was going to live once he went.

I contemplate how easy taking my own life would be. If I could be with Jack, it's worth it.

No. I can't. I've made it this far and I can't give up now. I have to move on. He came here to remind me of that, I tell myself.

He seems so alive, like I could reach out and feel the warmth of his skin again, but I know that he is dead, only coming to give me a final goodbye. His skin and lips are frozen. He was frozen. My Jack was frozen and could never be warm again.

Jack wipes away my tear, his cold finger brushing against my cheek. My legs become weak at his tender touch. I want to fall back into his strong arms and let him rock me to sleep, but all I would fall into would be air.

"J-Jack you're so cold," I state, obviously. He sighs.

"I know," he presses his nearly blue lips into a thin line.

We are silent again. The only sound to be heard is the crickets chirping outside. It is at least a minute before he speaks again.

"I can see the light Rose… I gotta go into it. It looks so nice, Rose. It's heaven. Don't feel sorry for me, please. I'll be happy there. I'll be with my family again. But I'll always love you Rose. Never forget that. Never let go," he tells me softly. I'm amazed at how steady his voice was. I can only nod and make a pathetic noise in agreement. The huge lump in my throat prevents me from talking. On the inside, I'm desperately screaming at Jack, pleading with him not to go.

_'Don't leave me Jack! Don't go! Stay with me! Please!'_

Before I can cry out to him, the feeling of his hands disappears. His ghostly reflection vanishes. He's gone. I can feel my heart break. My shaky knees finally give out and I collapse to the wooden floor, sobbing violently. I don't think I can ever get up again. Not after tonight. Not ever.

"I-I promise you J-Jack. I-I-I'll n-never let g-go," I promise him again between fitful cries. My voice is so small, so timid. I feel so lost. He had found me, but I had lost him almost immediately. It just isn't fair. I bury my head in my hands and continue to let the tears flow. There is no reason to stop them now. My entire body heaves with sobs.

I have survived. Fifteen hundred people had died that night, and only six had been rescued from the freezing water. I'm one of those lucky six; living proof that you can cheat death. My foolish choice to jump off the lifeboat had only resulted in Jack's death, but I couldn't just leave him there to die on that ship alone. Seven should have been rescued from the ocean, but the lifeboats came too late. Jack should have been rescued. He was a survivor. He should've lived. He should be here right now, kissing me and telling me that everything will be all right, as the memories flood back into my mind and bring me to tears.

He should be, but he's not. He'll never be. And now I can't let go. I have survived and he wouldn't want me to waste away my life after he sacrificed his for mine. He wanted me to go off and get married. To have children and watch them grow up. To move on. But he had never told me to forget him, and I never will. I'll remember those days for the rest of my life.

_'Look out your window'_

I hear someone talk to me again. It's Jack; I recognized the sound of his voice. For a moment, I think he has returned, but his whisper drifts away before I can feel anything again. I can't bring myself to ignore him now. I wipe the tears out of my eyes as best I can and get up. I am still shaking and my breaths are still unsteady. The room is blurred from my tears, but I stumble over to the window and pull it open. What I see next takes my breath away.

A shooting star blazes across the night sky.

_'It's a soul goin' to heaven Rose. I'm goin' to heaven.'_

I hear him whisper to me once more. He sounds so happy. I have to be happy for him. I knew he'd go to heaven; he deserves it more then any other person in the world. He had the biggest heart that I've ever known. But now that that heart was frozen, and his love is taken away from this life, at least it can live on in heaven, where we will meet again. I feel a rush of warmth overcome me as I think about our meeting in heaven. I'll see him again. I'll kiss him again. I'll love him again. This isn't goodbye forever.

'_But this is the last time I'll ever see him in this life,'_ I remind myself sadly. I feel tears begin prickle my eyes. But I can't possibly be sad now while Jack was so happy. Now he can see me every day, and I'll know that he's up there, watching over me. Protecting me. I silently pray that he'll become my guardian angel.

"Jack!" I call out as if he could hear me, "I love you!" I smile as I take in the night air around me. I think he's smiling too, wherever he is. I feel more at peace then I had ever before. I lean as far out of my window as I can without falling out, hands stretching up towards the sky as if the star will land in my hands.

The star dances across the dark sky until it is out of view. He's finally there.

_'I love you too,'_

I'll keep those words close to my heart everyday, for I know they'll be the last that I'll ever hear from a man named Jack Dawson.

* * *

**I think it was six that were rescued from the water...six or five...whatever. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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